Passport End Date

[mrpon]

Greetings to all and a question to those who know the rules better than me. I arrive in BKK on the 12th Nov.and leave again on the 10th Dec.2008, a total of 28 days but having just looked at my passport, it expires on the 8th April 2009. Can I use it for this trip (a UK passport) or do I need a new one? It seems a shame to have to renew it and loose 6 months use on it for the sake of a couple of days. Are the immigration people really rigid about the rules or have they any discretion regarding this? My thanks for any replies. Cheers, Paul.

[apetley]

Hi Thai immigration will not let you enter with less than 6 months remaining. That is what they tell me.

If you renew your old passport the new ones expiry date will be 10 years from the time your old one expires so you will not lose any time.

Edited September 2, 2008 by apetley

[sjaak327]

Yep renew your passport, Apart from Thai immigration, the airlines will probably deny you boarding in any case. I (and many others) are in the same boat, always renew mine around 7 monhts before actual expiration, as Thailand isn't the only country with such requirements (far from that actually).

[Pattaya46]

Hi Thai immigration will not let you enter with less than 6 months remaining. That is what they tell me.

They are wrong. There is no more such a limitation for Thailand since sevral years already.

...

but the problem could be with the Air Line company : They use this 6 months limitation for almost everywhere as it's easier for them to control 6 months for all destinations...

Better to call the AirLine now to avoid a problem latter.

[mgjackson69]

I know that most, if not all, countries will not issue you a visa if you have less than 6 months validity left on your passport.

However, I have not heard of someone being denied entry on a visa-exempt stamp in a similar situation.

[apetley]

Hi Thai immigration will not let you enter with less than 6 months remaining. That is what they tell me.

They are wrong. There is no more such a limitation for Thailand since sevral years already.

...

but the problem could be with the Air Line company : They use this 6 months limitation for almost everywhere as it's easier for them to control 6 months for all destinations...

Better to call the AirLine now to avoid a problem latter.

Just passing on what immigration at Mae Sot told me and that was I would have a problem if I had less than 6 months left on my passport.

I asked when I was there in April for a 90 day border hop.

My old passport runs out Dec this year and I wanted to do another run in July.

Mae Sot immigration said that I could have left in July but would not be allowed to re-enter. They also said I would probably not be allowed to enter Burma so I thought it best to renew as I would have hated to be forever in limbo on the friendship bridge!

[mgjackson69]

If there is any doubt at all, go ahead and renew...then you have no worries (about the passport expiration, anyway).

Good luck.

[Taijitu]

If you renew your old passport the new ones expiry date will be 10 years from the time your old one expires so you will not lose any time.

Not so!!!!

For example, I have just received the renewal of my daughter's British Passport (issued in Bangkok) and the validity date is two days after I submitted the application. The original passport expiry date is October 18th, 2008. So the period between validation of the new passport and the expiry of the old has been lost. Passports are not post-dated.

Edit: Date correction

Edited September 6, 2008 by Taijitu

[martynsnowman]

If you renew your old passport the new ones expiry date will be 10 years from the time your old one expires so you will not lose any time.

Not so!!!!

For example, I have just received the renewal of my daughter's British Passport (issued in Bangkok) and the validity date is two days after I submitted the application. The original passport expiry date is October 18th, 2008. So the period between validation of the new passport and the expiry of the old has been lost. Passports are not post-dated.

Edit: Date correction

sorry taijitu , but my passport WAS post dated i renewed it in pearson at Peterbough in u.k because i had less than 6 months left to run and was told by ETIDAD airways they would not let me board . i renewed it in september and the expiry date is in january .

[JohnC]

Not so!!!!

For example, I have just received the renewal of my daughter's British Passport (issued in Bangkok) and the validity date is two days after I submitted the application. The original passport expiry date is October 18th, 2008. So the period between validation of the new passport and the expiry of the old has been lost. Passports are not post-dated.

My retirement extension was due to expire in April last year and my Passport the following January, the embassy advised i would not get a twelve month extension with only 10 months left on my passport so i renewed it, on receipt I noted that my new passport is valid for 10 years and 10 months so yes they do carry forward the unused months on an old passport which is not the same as saying it is post dated ! So my new passport now says on the main page : Date of Issue 18Apr 2007 Date of Expiry 18Jan 2018 which on my calender is 10 years and nine months.

[owenjones]

Thanks, this is very helpful.

My Non/Imm 'O' visa with RTX expires on 19th April 2009 and my passport in August 2010, so it's better for me to get a new passport early in 2009.

Regards,

Owen.

[Crossy]

If you renew your old passport the new ones expiry date will be 10 years from the time your old one expires so you will not lose any time.

Not so!!!!

For example, I have just received the renewal of my daughter's British Passport (issued in Bangkok) and the validity date is two days after I submitted the application. The original passport expiry date is October 18th, 2008. So the period between validation of the new passport and the expiry of the old has been lost. Passports are not post-dated.

sorry taijitu , but my passport WAS post dated i renewed it in pearson at Peterbough in u.k because i had less than 6 months left to run and was told by ETIDAD airways they would not let me board . i renewed it in september and the expiry date is in january .

Yup, so was mine. I now have a shiny new biometric passport valid 20 August 2008 to 20 May 2019, the old PP was good to 2012 (replaced because full).

I'm not sure if all embassies do add validity, (mine was done in Delhi) maybe BKK don't.

I was surprised to see that the chip and antenna are under a clear cover so you can see the works.

[JohnC]

My Non/Imm 'O' visa with RTX expires on 19th April 2009 and my passport in August 2010, so it's better for me to get a new passport early in 2009.

??? why? your passport will be valid for 16 months when you renew your extension so not a problem, what you will have to do is renew your passport in early 2010 ready for your next rtx in April 2010 . Plus i believe that there is a maximum they will carry forward from old passport I believe its 10 months but not certain so worth checking.